


Talk Me Down (Bring Me Home)

by BehindTheRobinsMask



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Alpha Jason Todd, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Getting Back Together, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Omega Dick Grayson, Regret, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26327185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindTheRobinsMask/pseuds/BehindTheRobinsMask
Summary: Jason knows that his relationship with Dick is over. He knows that after their last fight, they just can't recover. But an arrival from the future might just change everything.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Comments: 6
Kudos: 241
Collections: JayDick Summer Exchange 2020





	Talk Me Down (Bring Me Home)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anoncitomikolino](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anoncitomikolino/gifts).



> This fic mixes concepts of both omegaverse and werewolves so you have been warned. 
> 
> Song suggestions -   
> 1) Twenty Something by Nightly  
> 2) Problems by A R I Z O N A  
> 3) Lost by Blake Rose

When he was a child, Jason was sure that Gotham was cursed, that the very air in the city was filled with a poison that slowly built up inside the body, making the residents miserable, bit by bit, breath by breath. The deep magic, the bad-wishes of those who used to be, whatever it was, a feeling of dread shrouded the city, covering it like a dome, keeping in everything toxic, killing everything that was pure, that was beautiful. And because the people who lived here lived with poison in their lungs, instead of dying right away, they slowly became addicted, craving the city and the pain it inflicted, loving it despite all it had ever done was take, take and take even when there was nothing left to take. Gotham was the flame, the faux moonlight that moths so adored, and its residents were the fools who burned, slowly and painfully, gasping for hope and only inhaling disappointment. And this belief of his hadn’t changed even after he grew up. Even after he died and came back to life. Because Jason could go anywhere, start again in a place where no one knew his name, where no one could remind him of all the mistakes he had made, a place where this was no Bruce Wayne, no Batman and his Joker. A place where he could be happy. But it was only in Gotham’s arms that he found any peace.   
  


Life truly was a cruel bitch for keeping him grounded to this city, giving him glimpses of forever when he wasn't there and taking them away the moment he stepped back into its boundaries.   
  


Last month, Jason was living among the clouds, his heart growing wings that flew him to the sky, lost in an everlasting season of cool wind, warm sunlight and stars that danced in the night. Among all this perfection was Dick Grayson, the main attraction, the one who had his hooks so deep in Jason’s heart, soul and mind, his every whim, his every fancy becoming Jason’s undoing. And just like Gotham, Jason loved and hated Dick in equal measures. He could worship him through the night, study his body, his moans hymns Jason could hear for the rest of his life. Come morning, they would be at each other’s throats, teeth bared, old wounds scratched until they were bleeding all over again, pain dripping down onto the floor, dripping down onto them. It was a never-ending cycle, one that they were both so tired of but one they couldn’t let go of. Breaking the cycle meant letting each other go and Jason needed Dick as much as he needed to breathe. But last month had been different, it had almost been magical and Jason was afraid that he had imagined it all. As they left Gotham to go on a road trip, both of them on a break from their nightly vigilante duties, the moment they left the city limits, everything changed. The old, the worrisome, every mistake and insecurity, it was all forgotten as the air around them sizzled with a new kind of energy, one that pulled them closer, one that tied them together.  
  


In questionable motels, they made love through the night, slow and breath-taking, every moment spent on exploring facets of each other they had never seen before. When Dick shifted beneath him, whimpering and moaning, when Dick looked at him with desire in his eyes, when Dick whispered words of love, words meant for Jason and no one else, he felt so happy to be alive. His resurrection that had always seemed like a curse now seemed like a blessing. In the mornings, they would wander around cities, fingers intertwined and kisses shared, whispers and promises exchanged as they smiled like nothing in the world mattered except the two of them.   
  


If Jason closed his eyes, he could remember the way Dick was perched on the hood of their car, his arms stretched, lips parted as the wind blew, caressing his skin, holding him close because even nature knew to be gentle with him. It was at that moment that Jason knew he was irrevocably and undoubtedly in love with Dick Grayson. It was at that moment that Jason knew he could spend the rest of his life with Dick Grayson. Back then, the realization had made him smile, heart fluttering in his chest. But as they inched closer to Gotham city, as the air weighed down on him, that realization turned into a new kind of fear, one that had become his downfall.   
  


_ “What the hell is wrong with you?!”  _ Dick had demanded back in Jason’s safe house, eyes alight with anger, his scent so thick and heavy in the air that it almost felt suffocating. He was furious, so very furious.   
  


_ “All I’m saying is that your devotion to ‘daddy’ Bruce is almost sickening, if not… strange,” _ Jason had responded, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. Why was he designed to push people away the moment they came close to loving him? Why was he designed to break all that he loved until there was nothing left but memories that haunted him every day?  
  


Dick had gasped, pain flickering across his face, betrayal in his eyes. He shook his head. He pulled away and Jason felt empty, so damn empty. It was then that the world slowed down, each second passing by ever so slowly, and he saw the end of his relationship coming. Dick hugged himself, staring at the ground, lips pressed together until he finally sighed and looked up at Jason.   
  


_ “I can’t do this anymore.” _ Then, he was gone, from Jason’s arms, from his life. His lover, his mate had left him behind.   
  


And it was all Jason’s fault.  
  


After that, he barely ever saw Dick, both of them making the effort to avoid one another because even if they were to meet, they could only clash, fume with anger, throw cruel words until one of them was left bleeding. Until one of them was left utterly broken. Even though Jason so desperately wanted to see Dick again, the fighting just wasn’t worth it. And because of this, his wolf had been miserable, not just because his mate was gone but because he had, in a way, lost his pack as well. Now, at nights when he shifted, Jason ran alone, no one to watch his back, no one to tackle him down and play. There was no affection in his life, no playful nudges and a sense of belonging. While he could always go back to the manor, he couldn’t bring himself to be in the same room as Dick and pretend he wasn’t hurting. He couldn’t be in the same room as Dick and not beg him for forgiveness, for another chance.   
  


Which is probably why, the last few days he had been reckless, making decisions without any afterthought. He didn’t care about the consequences, the injuries his choices would inflict upon him, his wolf’s sadness weighing down on him so heavily, doubling the pain he was already feeling.   
  


And because he was reckless, without much thought, Jason had run headfirst into the fire. It had happened while he was on his way to the manor, heading down for a visit after Alfred had made it clear that if Jason didn’t come willingly, he would be dragged home. But as he drove his bike through the city, he had seen it, a blue hue mingling with the air around an abandoned warehouse, crackling like electricity that struck down. There was an explosion, there was chaos and soon flames were licking across the structure. The situation, however, wouldn’t be as serious because the fire brigade would have been able to take care of the fire. Jason would have been on his way but he had heard it, the sound of a child, a pup crying.   
  


There was someone in the building. Someone that Jason just had to save even though he didn’t know why.   
  


With one leap, he shifted, black fur covering his body that towered over most humans. Even for a shifter, Jason had always been bigger than the others. As people screamed warnings at him, he rushed in, smoke descending upon him the moment he entered the burning warehouse. Flames swarmed around him, keeping a distance but watching ever so carefully, almost as if it was waiting for him to make a wrong move, almost as if it was waiting for a reason to consume him whole. The idea itself was unnerving but Jason couldn’t waste time wondering. He couldn’t waste time because there was a child who needed protection.   
  


There, in the back of the room, huddled into a corner was the pup, pure white fur and the bluest eyes Jason had seen on a wolf. Eyes that were just like Dick’s. The little thing whined when he noticed Jason, inching close and then scurrying back because of the threatening flames. Knowing that the pup was too afraid to come to him, Jason went over to him, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and made a run for the exit. And it was then that the building began to fall apart, logs crash landing in front of him, blocking his path and forcing him to find a new way, consuming time that he didn’t really have.   
  


Eventually, Jason figured it out. Eventually, he made it out but as fresh air filled his lungs, the world seemed to blur, his vision failing him. Unable to stand anymore, his own thoughts not making any sense, Jason tucked the pup, safe and sound before passing out. 

*******

  
Jason dreamt that he was running under blue skies, under shining stars and a waxing moon, day and night, night and day, he was running without ever feeling tired, without any desire to stop. Even though he was on his own, as the warm breeze wove through his black fur, the burden that he always carried was gone. His sins, the guilt, his insecurities and fears, they all seemed to fly away with the wind, left behind, long gone and he was free. Free to start all over again. Free to be happy. Free to just be him. And as he ran through the lush grass, a white wolf would join his path, blue eyes full of love every time they looked his way because now that he was free, there was nothing that could stop him from being by Dick’s side, his own darkness a faded memory.   
  


The seasons changed. Under the scorching sun, with the gentle rain, when dead leaves covered the ground, ruthless snowstorms, as long as they were together, they could keep running.   
  


But just as any beautiful dream, even this one had to come to an end.   
  


When Jason finally woke up, he was far away from the green fields, far away from his blue sky, far away from his freedom. Instead, he lay on a cot in the cave, bright and artificial lights shining down on him, almost blinding. As a breath escaped his lips, a whimper vibrating through his throat, Jason realized that he was still a wolf, unable to shift back when he was unconscious and when his vision finally cleared, the blurred spots disappearing, he noticed Bruce sitting on a chair, staring down at him, eyes unimaginably dark and full of fury.   
  


“Shift,” he ordered and unable to defy the command of his pack alpha, Jason felt shudders run down his spine, his rebellious instincts making him snap his teeth in anger before his snout disappeared into his face. “You have been reckless,” Bruce said once Jason was human again, barely containing his anger. “At first I thought you would get past whatever it is you’re going through but clearly, I was mistaken.”  
  


Jason couldn’t help but smile, his fingers curling into the white sheets beneath him, “Did I disappoint you once again, daddy-o?” he asked humorlessly.   
  


“Good heavens, Jason,” Bruce sighed, his body deflating at every bit of anger seemed to disappear from his voice. “The two of us, we have problems, I won’t deny that. But our issues, they are between us and only us. Not Dick. Not your brothers. Even when we don’t get along, you belong with this pack.”  
  


Swallowing thickly, Jason’s grip on the sheets grew tighter as he looked away, hating the words that Bruce had said, hating them because they were true. Hating them because no matter how many times he heard them, he couldn’t believe them.   
  


“Come on, you must have hated the fact that your golden boy ended up with the family black sheep,” he said, trying his best to sound playful but his voice wavered, a sign of weakness, his emotions that he couldn’t get rid of.   
  


“I have no say in who Dick loves and who he does not. He chose you and that is enough,” Bruce said, getting up. It was then that Jason noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t slept in a while but couldn’t be because of Jason now could it? That just wasn’t possible. “And honestly, he has dated worse in the past.”  
  


For a beat, Bruce waited for Jason to say something, maybe even apologize for his reckless behaviour that had the whole pack worried but when the young alpha just stared ahead, refusing to meet him, Bruce sighed and left. Stopping for a moment at the door.  
  


“The pup you brought in,” he said, glancing back at Jason. “It seems he has come from the future.”  
  


“Oh?” Jason raised his brows, remembering the blue lightning surrounding the warehouse.  
  


Bruce nodded, “He is Dick’s.”  
  


Then he was gone, leaving Jason with news that had him shaken to his very core. When he saw the pup the first time, he had known he looked familiar, the fur, the eyes. But Jason hadn’t thought much of it. Not that he had time to. Now that he knew the pup belonged to Dick, his Dick, he didn’t know how to react. He didn’t know how to breathe, every beat of his heart causing pain to ripple through his body.   
  


In the future, Dick had a child. A beautiful pup. Just the way he had always wanted. A family of his own. A family that they had dreamed of together. But he couldn’t be a part of it, not when he had burned down every bridge that led him to his mate.   
  


In the future, Dick had a child and Jason knew it wasn’t his. 

*******

Sometimes, when darkness was all he could see, Jason wondered why he had been brought back to life. He wondered if his existence had a purpose other than being broken over and over again. The first time he broke, it wasn’t because the Joker swung a crowbar at his head. No. It was because the mother he had been searching for so desperately had sold him out. She had handed him into death’s hands without so much as blinking. Then, there was one blow after another until a fiery explosion ended it all, the fire an act of mercy, an escape from this world that had all grown to be cruel. Heaven was close but hell was faster and soon Jason was drowning in green waters, alive, awake, broken again because this was never what he wanted. And with pieces that never really fit together, he made his way back home, to a pack that had barely missed him. To a pack that had replaced him with another.   
  


Now, as he walked out of the cave, following a familiar scent, he could feel himself break over again, each crash taking away bits of him that he could never get back. Even when he was fine, he wasn’t whole. He could never really be whole. And maybe that’s why he was such a fucking mess. Maybe that’s why, no matter how hard he tried, he could only hurt Dick.   
  


Maybe this is why, in the end, Dick had found happiness with someone who wasn’t him.   
  


Leaning against the window, Jason watched a white wolf run through the manor grounds, a pup following him close behind, the scene so familiar, a dream that he saw every night but one that slipped out of his grasp every time he opened his eyes. And now, right in front of him was everything he had ever wanted, everything he needed to feel alive even for a moment. But all he could do was press his hand against the glass, breathe in, breathe out, close his eyes and pray that the tears wouldn’t roll down his cheeks, that the world would never see what a mess he truly was. Until today, at least he could pretend that the future wouldn’t be bleak, that there was happiness for him somewhere. But now, hope felt like a stranger he’d never get to know because a future without Dick by his side wasn’t much of a future worth looking forward to.   
  


“Master Jason?” Alfred called out and startled, Jason looked back, the corners of his lips lifting into a smile on their own, an automatic response every time someone was about to see him at his lowest. But Alfred was never one to be fooled, never one to be taken in by disguises. He simply looked out the window, realization dawning when he noticed the duo in the garden. “Ah. I see you know about Master Thomas.”  
  


“Thomas,” Jason whispered, feeling the pup’s name on his tongue, familiarity washing over him, burning him. “His name is Thomas.”  
  


“Indeed.” Alfred nodded. “Though, if I had to be honest, I never expected you and Master Dick to name your firstborn after a man you have never met.”  
  


That moment in itself was a strange one, when Alfred said what he had to say and Jason, so lost in his own thoughts, his own misery, didn’t notice until the words spun around in his head, once, twice, spinning a web. Then, like the tug of a string, everything was falling into place and Jason finally looked up. Thomas was Dick’s child from the future. His pup. His family.   
  


Thomas was Dick and Jason’s child from the future. Their pup. Their child.   
  


“Master Jason? Are you alright?” Alfred asked as Jason stood in one place, reality shattering into a million pieces because none of this could be real. This could not be real. And yet, it was.   
  


Somehow his beautiful dream crashed into reality and Jason was running, towards his mate, towards his family. He was running towards another chance, another possibility that he wasn’t willing to let slip by so easily. Not this time. Not ever again. One leap and his clothes tore away. One leap and he was on all fours, bowing his head to his omega, bowing his head for forgiveness, for compassion, a chance to know about a life he had been so sure he’d never have.   
  


And as Dick’s blue eyes bore into him, piercing through his skin, peeking into his soul, Jason could only stand in place, shivers running down his spine. But as he prepared himself for rejection, for growls and threats, a small voice called out to him, the tiniest of barks as his pup ran straight into him, tail wagging with uncontained excitement. Jason’s heart swelled with love, it broke and mended.  Pressing his snout against his pup’s fur, he inhaled, remembering his scent, holding onto it even after he was gone. Maybe Dick took pity on him. Maybe Thomas' acceptance was enough. Jason didn’t really know. All he knew was that he was given the chance to be with his family, even if it was just for a while.   
  


For that moment, just like in his dreams, Jason let go of everything that held him back and he ran, free as he could possibly be, his mate, his family by his side. 

*******

They sent Thomas back that very day, knowing that his parents in the future were probably worried about their child. Since it was stressful for omegas to stay away from their pups, it was dangerous for him to stay in this time any longer than he already had. Not to mention the ripples his presence could cause, a mistake and the future could change forever. There were just too many risks. Yet, when it came time to say goodbye, Jason didn’t want to let Thomas go. The pup was a sign, one that Jason had asked of an unforgiving god so many times over the years, a little hint into the future, an understanding that while his present was tearing him apart, someday, there could be a possibility, a road that would lead him to his happiness.   
  


_ “Thank you for saving me, Papa!”  _ Thomas had said, smiling brightly, smiling just the way Dick did.   
  


_ “I’ll always, always save you,” _ was all Jason could say as he held his pup close, his small body engulfed in his arms, a part of him refusing to let go.   
  


Then, with a wave and a lovely smile, Thomas was gone, leaving Jason to wonder when he would see him again.   
  


Standing in the garden, with his eyes closed, Jason felt the cool wind graze his skin while his mind drowned in memories, in emotions that he never wanted to let go of. And in all this reminiscing, he felt Dick’s presence, turning around to face the omega.   
  


“So, we’ll have a son,” Dick said, rubbing his arm, eyes looking at everything but Jason. He was worried. He was scared. And Jason couldn’t blame him for feeling like that. Just confessions of love weren’t assuring enough. There had to be action. There had to be change.   
  


“Yeah,” he whispered. “He looks just like you, ya know?”  
  


“Really? He reminds me of you.” Dick smiled as he remembered the time he spent with Thomas. “His playfulness, eagerness to try the dumbest things, it was very you when you were Robin.”  
  


“God, I hope not. I wouldn’t wish my teenage stupidity on anyone,” Jason sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Especially not my own children.”  
  


“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You were just eager to show the world what an amazing alpha you are.” Dick grinned, a glint of evil in his eyes. “Even if that meant getting a face full of Ivy’s sex pollen and then begging me for sex.”  
  


“Oh, god,” Jason groaned, knowing exactly what Dick was talking about.  
  


“What did you say back then?” Dick pretended to think, tapping his chin. “‘ _ I’ll let you do my chem homework for a week if you let me blow you’  _ As if doing your schoolwork was some sort of privilege.”  
  


“I wasn’t thinking straight!” Jason tried to defend himself while praying for a hole that would swallow him.   
  


“Really? Because once you got the antidote, I remember a very angry alpha standing before my door, huffing and growling and telling me that I should be glad he even thought I was worthy enough to touch his homework,” Dick continued and Jason’s desire to spontaneously combust just got stronger.   
  


“I don’t know why you put up with me then and why you put up with me now.” Jason just shook his head, wishing for a time machine that would send him to the past so he could talk some sense into his younger self.  
  


“Because,” Dick said, his voice turning soft as he spoke, more serious than before. “I love you, Jay.”  
  


“You shouldn’t,” Jason whispered, knowing he had one too many faults, knowing that he was too broke to deserve someone like Dick Grayson. “You really shouldn’t.”  
  


“Shouldn’t I?” Dick asked, taking a step forward. “Shouldn’t I love the you who is kind, the you who has held me through the worst periods of my life?”  
  


“Dickie…”  
  


“Should I love the you who has always loved me?” Dick asked and if he was a stronger man, Jason would have held himself together instead of falling apart in his mate’s arms. “I’ve always dreamed of having my own family, my own children, you know that, Jay. For so many years now, my dreams have always had you in them. My alpha. My mate,” he continued, holding Jason tight. “But there can’t be an us if you don’t trust me. There can’t be an us if you keep projecting your issues with Bruce onto me. I am not him, Jason. I’m not.”  
  


“I know.” Jason took in a deep breath, his arms wrapping around Dick’s waist. “I know that. It’s just, every time I realize that my feelings for you are getting stronger, I panic and say things I shouldn’t. I try to push you away before you can push me away. But I promise I’ll work on it. I promise I’ll love you the way you deserve to be loved.”  
  


“Even if we know what the future holds, we don’t have to rush into anything,” Dick said, lips pulling into a small smile as he tucked back Jason’s hair. “We’re young and we have our whole lives ahead of us. Let’s just take this one step at a time, yeah? Nothing too big. Nothing too fast. Just the two of us making our own path.”  
  


Hearing his words, Jason nodded his head, unable to speak, unable to tell Dick that even if they were to take things slow, it wouldn’t change the way he felt. It wouldn’t change the fact that he knew he would love Dick for the rest of his life. But for now, he would keep those thoughts to himself. He would keep them for a future where he was finally whole, a future where Jason could call Dick his without fearing that he’d leave him behind. But before that, there was a lot of work they needed to do.    
  


With their fingers intertwined, today they could live in the present. Tomorrow, they could run. Free. Together. Just like they were always meant to.

**Author's Note:**

> Cherrrry! Did you think I wouldn't end up writing a treat for you? This is my thank you to you for all the times you've helped me be more confident in myself and for hearing my dumbass rants. You are such an amazing friend and I am so grateful for you <3


End file.
